Big Mac: could be biggerForgive the inclusion of 2 articles about weird-ass food you shouldn't eat straight after each other, but...Aha! The shroud of deceit has fallen. Seeing recent adverts throughout the media you might be forgiven for thinking that McDonalds is some ethical pro-worker environmentally friendly wunder-company that likes nothing better than feeding school children with extra-nutritious apples and lettuce at the same time as buying them footballs to keep them healthy. Well, until you entered an actual McDonalds store anyway...or read how the salad is (or for fear of being sued let's say was) fattier than the Cheeseburger.

According to an article in the Independent, it seems that McDonalds have decided to give it up and settle to the business they do best - brainwash-marketing and feeding immensely fatty bits of "meat" to whoever can afford the prices (which, sadly in this case, is most of the population).

One of the more popular items at present is the Big Mac. It contains 560 calories and over half of a person's recommended daily intake of saturated fats just in one smallish (despite the name) burger. Taking the discounted "meal" option by including fries and milkshake, it comes to 2000 calories. It is hard to say how many calories you need a day as it depends on current weight, exercise and so on, but the consensus would appear to be around 2000, or 2500 for a man. A Big Mac meal is therefore essentially all the food you can eat all day. Beware: Do this enough, and you'll probably die of some serious illness or other - there is much more to nutrition than a calorie count. Morgan Spurlock's Supersize Me illustrates this to extreme.

Ron: Say your prayersBut this isn't enough for children's friend and pestered-parents' nightmare Ronald McDonald, oh no. Apparently the "toasted deli sandwich" has been deigned unsuccessful, and some stores have had to close down. Instead, in yet another twisted and beyond-ironic cross promotion, to celebrate the forthcoming world-famous sporting event known as the World Cup, McDonalds is releasing the Bigger Big Mac; alleged to be 40% bigger - and presumably unhealthier - than even the current Big Mac. McOhYeah!

The Poorhouse is happy to say that this can surely only enhance the average British consumer's view that McDonalds is the least ethical of high-profile corporations; which is saying a lot what with what the rest of them get up to. The Fraser Consultancy polled more than 1300 consumers to create an Ethical Index, where McDonalds lost out big-time. The next nine least ethical companies though of were Nike, Shell, Adidas, Barclays Bank, Coca-cola, BP, Camelot, American Express and Nestle.

In yet more bad news for the evil golden-arched clown, the wonderful Fast Food Nation book with its less than glowing reports of the McDonaldsy-type industry is being made into some sort of film about the "unsavoury truths about the burger business". Chew On This - a Fast Food Nation book for teenagers - is also arriving at British shores next month.